Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, April 29, 2017

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Mountain View News Saturday, April 29, 2017 

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER

ARCADIA PASSES UNOCCUPIED RESIDENCE 
REGISTRATION ORDINANCE

For the period of Sunday, April 16th, through Saturday, 
April 22nd, the Police Department responded to 991 calls 
for service, of which 122 required formal investigations. The 
following is a summary report of the major incidents handled 
by the Department during this period.

Sunday, April 16:

Shortly before 11:44 p.m., an officer responded to the area 
of Fourth Avenue and Camino Real Drive regarding a 
subject walking in traffic. Upon contacting the pedestrian, 
the 20-year-old male from Monrovia admitted to being 
in possession of methamphetamine. He was cited and 
released in the field. 

Monday, April 17:

At approximately 8:39 a.m., an officer responded to YTC 
Summit, 12037 Clark Street, regarding a vandalism report. 
An investigation revealed an unknown suspect used a BB 
gun to shatter one of the windows. No suspects were seen, 
no witnesses were located, and no loss was reported.

 Just after 3:12 p.m., an officer responded to the Santa 
Anita Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a grand 
theft report. The victim stated an unknown suspect stole 
a smaller purse from her larger, oversized bag while she 
was using the restroom while inside Nordstrom. The 
investigation is ongoing. 

 Shortly before 12:50 p.m., an officer responded to 
Nordstrom, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a theft 
report. Surveillance footage revealed a former employee 
entered a break room and stole an employee’s purse. The 
suspect, a 29-year-old female from Pomona, is outstanding 
at the time of this report.

Tuesday, April 18:

Around 6:54 p.m., officers responded to a residence in 
the 1200 block of Oakhaven Road regarding a burglary 
report. The officer discovered unknown suspect(s) 
shattered a second story balcony door, ransacked the 
residence, and fled empty-handed. The investigation is 
ongoing.

 Just before 6:04 a.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 1000 block of El Sur Avenue regarding a stolen 
vehicle report. Surveillance footage captured a black male 
suspect steal the victim’s Honda Odyssey from their drive 
way. The victim stated her car keys were stolen during a 
vehicle burglary a week prior. The investigation is ongoing. 
The vehicle was recovered in the City of Baldwin Park later 
that day. 

Wednesday, April 19:

Shortly after 1:55 p.m., an officer responded to the 
intersection of Second Avenue and Colorado Boulevard 
regarding a vandalism report. An investigation revealed 
an unknown suspect used spray paint to graffiti on the 
freeway overpass. No suspects were seen and no witnesses 
were located. 

Thursday, April 20:

At approximately 7:05 p.m., an officer responded to a 
residence in the 2200 block of Canyon Road regarding 
an audible alarm activation. The officer discovered the 
unknown suspect shattered a rear sliding glass door, 
ransacked the home, and fled with jewelry and cash. A 
witness reported seeing a Hispanic male, approximately 
5’6” tall with a buzzed hair cut drive away in a silver sedan 
shortly after the alarm activated. The investigation is 
ongoing.

 Around 10:22 p.m., officer responded to a traffic 
collision between two vehicles near the 600 block of Las 
Tunas Drive. Upon arrival, one of the officers located the 
suspect’s vehicle driving in circles in the parking lot and 
then he used his vehicle to intentionally hit the victim’s 
vehicle a second time. One of the victim’s was inside the 
vehicle during the second collision. The suspect’s vehicle 
then fled and a short pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, 
the suspect’s vehicle collided with four additional vehicles. 
The suspect was eventually apprehended. Through a 
series of tests, the officer concluded the 33-year-old male 
from San Gabriel was under the influence of an alcoholic 
beverage. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia 
City Jail for booking.

 At about 10:27 p.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 2100 block of Highland Oaks Avenue regarding 
an alarm activation. Surveillance footage revealed three 
unidentified suspects smashed a rear window, ransacked 
the residence, and fled with jewelry and Rolex watches. The 
investigation is ongoing.

Friday, April 21: 

At about 7:53 p.m., officers responded to the area of First 
Avenue and Huntington Drive regarding an assault that 
occurred inside the T-Mobile store, 101 East Huntington 
Drive. The investigation revealed the suspect, a 24-year-
old male from Altadena, was asked to leave the store and 
responded by punching the store manager in the mouth. 
The suspect also stole a samurai-styled sword from a nearby 
martial arts school and used it to hit two male victims. The 
suspect was taken control of by a martial arts teacher and 
students until officers arrived. The suspect was arrested and 
transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

 Just before 9:30 p.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 2800 block of Winthrop Avenue regarding a burglary 
report. The officer determined unknown suspect(s) entered 
the residence through an open window, ransacked the 
home, and fled with jewelry and designer handbags. The 
investigation is ongoing. 

Saturday, April 22:

Around 9:05 a.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 500 block of West Huntington Drive regarding a 
fraud report. The victim stated an unknown suspect used 
their Social Security Number to open a Sprint account in 
Arizona. The total reported loss was $6,000.00. The victim 
does not know the identity of the suspect or how they 
obtained his personal information.

 Shortly after 9:18 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop 
on a vehicle in the 800 block of North Santa Anita Avenue 
for having tinted windows and no rear license plate. Upon 
contacting the driver, the 21-year-old male admitted to 
having two firearms inside the vehicle. A consensual search 
of the vehicle revealed a loaded shotgun, a loaded Glock 
inside the driver door side pocket, cocaine, Xanax bars, a 
scale, and cash. The suspect was arrested and transported 
to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

The Arcadia City Council adopted an Unoccupied 
Residence Registration Ordinance which will go 
into effect May 5, 2017. The Ordinance establishes 
regulations and registration requirements for 
unoccupied residences in the City of Arcadia.

 The purpose of the registry is to protect 
neighborhoods from the adverse effects of 
unoccupied residences that are not adequately 
maintained and to be able to directly communicate 
with property owners or their designated agents 
when issues at their properties occur. The registry 
will provide the City with a reliable contact when 
issues such as property maintenance or health 
and safety matters arise at the residence. 

 An unoccupied residence is a property that has 
not been occupied for at least 30 days. Houses 
that are actively under construction, are in escrow 
to be sold or transferred, or are being actively 
marketed by an identified listing agent, will not be 
considered unoccupied.

 As part of the registration requirement, the 
property owner will be required to register his/
her contact information and at least two (2) other 
authorized agents, with one contact designated 
as being available on a 24-hour basis. The 24-
hour contact must be local and able to respond 
to problems at the property within one (1) hour 
of receiving a telephone notice. In lieu of the 
two (2) authorized agents, the property owner 
may enlist a property management company 
that is located within 20 miles of the City and 
that can respond within one (1) hour and on a 
24-hour basis. 

 There is no fee to register an unoccupied 
residence. Property owners will be able to 
register at Arcadia City Hall, or online at www.
ArcadiaCA.gov beginning May 5, 2017.

 For more information, please contact the 
Development Services Department at 574-5432 or 
DSDCodeServices@ArcadiaCA.gov.


AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MONROVIA COMMUNITY

TWO DUARTE UNIFIED SCHOOLS 
RECOGNIZED FOR HIGH 
ACHIEVEMENT IN STUDENT 
SUCCESS 

Royal Oaks and Valley View Elementary Schools 
Selected for Prestigious Honor Roll issued by National 
Campaign of Business & Education Leaders 

(Duarte, CA) – Duarte Unified School District is pleased to announce that 
Royal Oaks and Valley View Elementary Schools have been selected by 
Educational Results Partnership (ERP) and the Campaign for Business and 
Education Excellence (CBEE) as two of 1,866 public schools in California to 
receive the title of 2016 Honor Roll school. 

Schools receiving this distinction from the California business community 
have demonstrated consistent high levels of student academic achievement, 
improvement in achievement levels over time and reduction in achievement 
gaps among student populations. 

 Both Royal Oaks and Valley View Elementary received CBEE Honor Roll 
status and earned the “Star Schools” Award for showing a significant increase 
in the grade-level proficiency of their students over time that includes their 
significant socio-economically disadvantaged student populations. 

 “It is an honor to be recognized by The Campaign for Business & Education 
Excellence, and we are proud that Royal Oaks and Valley View have been 
selected as Honor Roll schools,” said Dr. Allan Mucerino, Superintendent of 
Duarte Unified. “Our staff, parents and community deserve to be recognized 
for creating the conditions for all students to attain rigorous academic 
standards by incorporating high expectations and quality instruction.” 

 “We are proud to recognize those schools and school districts who are 
succeeding in putting their students on a path of productivity that not only 
leads to success in the classroom, but also prepares them to contribute to and 
benefit from a more productive economy,” said Greg Jones, ERP and CBEE 
Board Chairman. 

 “Leadership from both education and the business community is critical 
to linking success from one system to the next, and ensuring that students 
have the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve a college degree and 
the financial security of a living wage job.” “The Honor Roll proves that 
many schools are doing well, even those with high numbers of historically 
disadvantaged students,” said Jim Lanich, ERP President and CEO. 

 “These schools are clearly doing something right and all schools, no 
matter what zip code they are in, can achieve this kind of success. School and 
school district leadership have a great opportunity to find out what’s working 
at these Honor Roll schools and replicate it.” 

 The California Honor Roll program is made possible with generous support 
from numerous businesses and organizations including Automobile Club of 
Southern California, Macy’s, Wells Fargo, Enterprise Holdings Foundation, 
and several private foundations. 

 Educational Results Partnership and the Campaign for Business and 
Education Excellence 

Educational Results Partnership (ERP) is a 501c3 non-profit organization 
dedicated to improving educational productivity. Using the nation’s largest 
database on student achievement, we uncover successful schools, particularly 
in economically disadvantaged districts, and promote their best practices. 
Supported by an alliance of national business leaders, ERP and its sister 
organization, the Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE), 
also identify and recognize high performing schools through our Honor Roll 
program. 

Duarte Unified School District 

The mission of the Duarte Unified School District (DUSD) is to provide the 
knowledge, skills and inspiration for each student to be successful in college, 
career and life. Each of our 8 schools and Child Development Center are 
staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: 
A Focus on Results, Service Centered, 21st Century Schools, and Strong 
Partnerships. These four pillars serve as the foundation of our organization 
where 21st Century schools are producing 21st Century students. www.
duarteusd.org

April 25, 2017

As you may have heard by now, on the evening of Saturday, April 22, 2017, there 
was a violent and tragic shooting at 134 West Cypress Street in Monrovia. The 
incident left one 18-year-old Monrovia resident dead, and another 17-year-old 
resident of unincorporated Monrovia in critical condition. Additionally, we 
are aware at this time that both of the shooting victims were Monrovia Unified 
School District students, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families 
at this time.

 Given the active investigation that is ongoing, there are few details about 
the shooting that the City can share. However, we are aware that this violent 
incident has inspired a great deal of speculation, which has resulted in the 
spread of inaccurate information being distributed in the news and across 
social media about gang crimes occurring in our City and region. To that 
end, we wanted to provide some factual information about the context for this 
incident and details about the City’s substantial and continuing efforts to curb 
gang violence in our community.

 Regarding the most recent shooting, we do know that a Hispanic male in 
his early to mid-20s is the suspected shooter that law enforcement authorities 
are currently looking for. It appears that the shooter entered the rear garage 
located at 134 West Cypress Street through a back alley on the evening 
of April 22, 2017, at around 11:30 p.m. Upon his entrance, the suspected 
shooter encountered three individuals gathered in the garage, including the 
two Hispanic males and one Hispanic female. It is unknown at this time 
what the suspected shooter’s motivations were. However, after a brief verbal 
exchange, the suspect proceeded to open fire and shot the two male victims, 
killing one individual and injuring the other. After opening fire, the suspected 
shooter fled the scene on foot into the alley located at the rear of the residence. 
Homicide investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 
are now investigating the case, which is the standard protocol for most murder 
investigations in our region because of the sophisticated tools and resources 
available at the County.

 We recognize that any shooting causes real and legitimate fear in the 
community. However, as news of this recent incident has been shared, 
unrestrained speculation has resulted in reports that Monrovia has a 
significant gang problem. Such accounts are simply inaccurate. In reality, 
our community has very little gang activity, due primarily to proactive gang 
violence reduction efforts that the City has instituted during the past 10 years. 
As a result, there are virtually no gang members living in Monrovia today.

 Back in 2007, Monrovia, Duarte, and the surrounding unincorporated 
Los Angeles County areas did experience a significant spike in gang 
violence and hundreds of gang members lived in the region. Much of the 
gang activity at that time was race-based, with significant conflicts between 
African American and Hispanic gangs. When confronted with this issue, 
Monrovia began working to remove criminal street gang members from our 
community. One of the City’s most effective measures was implementation 
of a preliminary gang injunction in 2009, which was eventually expanded to 
serve as a permanent injunction against the gangs in 2010. The injunction is 
still in place today and serves as a critical tool in the City’s efforts to identify 
and remove gang members from our community.

 In addition to the gang injunction, the City has also worked for years 
alongside our neighborhood leaders to develop strategies to eliminate 
gang elements from Monrovia. For example, our Police Department has 
coordinated with community members to put pressure on landlords who 
rent to criminals, and in every case we have pursued, that pressure from 
residents and the City resulted in landlords evicting criminal tenants. Our 
Police Department staff have also assisted landlords in their efforts to evict 
criminal tenants by appearing in court to testify in contested evictions, while 
also providing landlords with information about ways to rent to responsible 
individuals.

 After years of hard work, we have seen results here in Monrovia. Today, 
there are less than 10 gang members who live in our community, and because 
of our efforts, we have seen a major drop in both violent crime and gang crime 
in Monrovia during the past decade.

 Unfortunately, the rest of our region has not been as proactive in working to 
remove gang members from their communities. For example, Duarte did not 
participate in the gang injunction. This means that the Hispanic gang and the 
Crip gang in Duarte have been unaffected by our injunction. 

 Also, while Los Angeles County did participate in the injunction (which 
applies to gang members living in the unincorporated areas surrounding 
Monrovia and Duarte), the County does not have the same type of focused 
community policing programs that we have in Monrovia, and they have not 
had the same success that we have had in removing gang members from the 
unincorporated areas surrounding our City.

 These regional factors have resulted in many gang members still living 
in the areas to the south and to the east of Monrovia. And beginning in 
2016, similar to the violence we saw in 2007, gang activity has erupted in our 
region. The gang violence has primarily been between the Crip gang in the 
unincorporated areas surrounding Duarte / Monrovia, the Hispanic gang in 
Duarte, and a Blood gang in Pasadena. And there have been multiple gang 
related shootings and homicides in Duarte, Pasadena, and the unincorporated 
Los Angeles County areas.

 Throughout this recent surge in gang activity, Monrovia has avoided most 
of the violence because we have so few gang members living in our community. 
In fact, the City experienced very little gang crime in 2016. However, the 
reality is that gang members living in the region drive through Monrovia, visit 
friends / family in our City, and shop at our businesses. These factors, coupled 
with the few gang members who still live in town, leaves open the possibility 
that gang violence may occur here in Monrovia.

 To that end, in addition to the most recent shooting we experienced on 
April 22, 2017, there have been three other recent instances of violent activity 
in Monrovia, which include:

 On February 9, 2017, a male Hispanic gang member shot at a subject who 
was not a gang member in the 100 block of Los Angeles Street. Fortunately, 
the victim was not hit and Monrovia Police Officers quickly apprehended the 
shooter, along with two accomplices. In addition, City investigators were able 
to locate the gun that was used in the shooting, and the suspect is now awaiting 
trial. It is important to note that the shooter had been convicted of assault with 
a deadly weapon in Ontario, California in 2015. Because of California’s early 
prisoner release policies, he was out of prison in 9 months and had come to 
visit a friend in Monrovia when he committed another assault, this time with 
a handgun.

On March 29, 2017, a subject was at a store in the 400 block of East Duarte road 
when he was shot at by a gang member while sitting in his vehicle. The victim, 
who was hit, fled the scene to his residence in the unincorporated area of 
Duarte, where his family then called for help. This was a case where rival gang 
members from areas outside the City were involved in a shooting at a business 
in Monrovia. The victim will survive his injuries and the investigation is 
ongoing.

On April 7, 2017, a drive by shooting occurred in the 100 block of East Los 
Angeles Street. During the incident, no one was hit and no one was injured. 
The shooting took place at a residence where Crip gang members associate, and 
the investigation is continuing. At this time, it has not yet been determined 
if the shooting was gang related or if the incident was provoked because of 
a drug related deal. Furthermore, while the Monrovia Police Department 
has been aware of the issues at this location, we have been unable to evict the 
residents because they own the home. However, the City has taken proactive 
measures in an attempt to resolve the issues at this problem address, including 
the installation of high definition surveillance cameras that monitor the entire 
street on a 24/7 basis.

It is always unacceptable when a shooting occurs in town, and last weekend’s 
shooting that resulted in the death of a Monrovia resident is a tragedy that 
will be thoroughly investigated. As we move forward, additional public 
information will be released when possible. However, as the process unfolds, 
we did want to make the community aware that there is a lot of inaccurate 
information about the shooting incident that is being spread on social media, 
including statements made that the second victim had died, which is not true. 

There are also many inaccurate sentiments being shared that Monrovia is 
centrally involved in the regional gang violence that has been occurring since 
2016. We have outlined in this correspondence all of the possible recent gang-
related shooting incidents that have occurred in Monrovia. While it is true that 
gang activity spills into our City at times, the facts illustrate that gang violence 
is primarily originating from other areas where Monrovia has no jurisdiction. 
Furthermore, with regard to the latest April 22, 2017, shooting incident, it has 
yet to be determined if the matter is even gang related. While social media can 
be a helpful way to share accurate information, it also frequently causes the 
spread of false information, as has been the case recently.

Here in our Monrovia, we have taken, and we continue to take, great efforts 
to reduce gang violence. And our efforts have produced real results. As the 
chart below illustrates, violent gang crime in Monrovia has been significantly 
reduced over the years.

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com